Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Today, India will observe a two minute silence to remember all those who lost their lives in the recent Mumbai blasts. I can’t recollect the last time the nation came together to do so for victims of terror.

It’s been a week and it still hurts. I thought I could put down my feelings in a day or two but could not. There was anger at those who committed this ruthless crime, sadness for the families who lost their loved ones, admiration for the people who came forth to help people at the blasts sites and the ones stranded on the road, pride for the railways people who got back the services on track within 7 hours, and applause for the city to get back on its feet the next day.

I kept thinking if there is any way to prevent these acts of terror? But even with the highest security force in place I don’t think we can! We simply can’t. The ’93 blasts, then the Ghatkopar and Gateway of India in between and these serial blasts last week. Everytime we were hit we have got back on our feet. Do we really have a choice there? What should we do, sit at home frightened and not go back to leading our regular lives?

Is that possible and what do those terrorists achieve? Victory? Victory over whom? Victory for what purpose? Killing innocents , killing the unarmed, attacking from the back! Acts of terror? Nope acts of sheer cowardice. Yes that’s what they have proved time and again when they have attacked innocents. They have failed to bring the life in a city to standstill or to scare the people, so what are they achieving?

The trains are the lifeline of Mumbai and the hour when they were attacked was the peak rush hour. The Western line was my line when I was in Mumbai. I took the same trains daily back home; the very trains that were attacked. A friend of mine was in one of those trains, she was lucky she survived the attack but some weren’t. My husband’s school mate died in the blasts and I can’t imagine what his family must’ve gone through, just like numerous others who lost their dear ones in the blasts. The pictures on the news did not stop haunting me for days.

I felt so helpless. Sitting away from home all I could do was call up and find out if everyone I knew was doing fine. On the news I saw little kids come out on the streets and help the stranded. Women offer food and the elderly offer all the assistance they could at the hospitals, on the roads and at the blasts sites. The blood banks were overflowing within hours of the attack. In every possible way people helped and it moved me.

It is a city I’m extremely fond of because I’ve spent my entire life there. Its spirit is indomitable and it is undying. At times we do get caught up in our own affairs, you see there is no time to look around; but in times of calamity the people always have held each other’s hands and those idiot terrorists are not going to win ever.

Everyone is a survivor and if it were any other city they would’ve fought back in the same manner as Mumbai did.

I hope the intelligence agencies and police bring forth the perpetrators of this crime sooner than later and a repeat of ’93 case does not recur in this case.

All those who died in the blasts will be brave martyrs and I join in to remember them in silence. I hope we can try in every possible way to ensure that their sacrifice won’t be a waste.

Life...

For someone who loves being organized and planned in advance, life has taught that one can have none of that how much ever one wants to:-)

I never wanted to live abroad, I tried every possible way to avoid it but now I've completed 3 years of expat life in Dubai.Mumbai, India- My city, my home, my heaven, my love, my lovely country, I don't know how I've survived these years away from you!

I'm trying to get back to my blog to write back about my life and my experiences and yes my thoughts!